A blog about sociological issues in the media and more.

Menu

100 Word Analysis (Globalisation and the Media)

In broad terms, globalisation is a word used to describe growth at a global scale and emphasizes interdependence. If we’re to focus our gaze on the media, one could agree with Marshall McLuhan as he puts forward the idea of a ‘Global Village’. Through the rise of electronic media and, for example, social networking websites, a ‘Global Village’ is created. This is evident in the rise of e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, and blogging platforms.

However, there are some criticisms to the claim that we now live in a world in which people are closer and more participatory in the distribution of discourses. The concept of ‘cultural imperialism’ is one that some theorists have latched on to; this is the idea that one culture is an all invasive and dominant force among all others (i.e. American culture). Regardless, I’m more inclined to subscribe to the ‘Glocalisation’ theory or ‘Hybridization’ approach, in which the globalisation of a dominant culture is appropriated, distributed, and localized according to region.